Breast cup construction

ABSTRACT

A breast receiving cup for a brassiere, and the method of manufacturing the cup, are disclosed in which the cup comprises an upper cup portion having a lower joining edge of predetermined curvature and a lower cup portion having an upper joining edge secured to the lower joining edge of the upper cup portion. The upper joining edge of the lower cup portion has the same predetermined curvature as the lower joining edge of the upper cup portion whereby the lower joining edge and the upper joining edge of the respective cup portions may be superimposed upon one another to facilitate securement of the upper and lower breast cup portions to one another during the manufacturing procedure. In the three-dimensional finished cup the resultant line of securement starts at a first point along the inner edge of the cup and extends towards its terminus at the outer edge of the cup. Depending upon the cup presentation desired, such line of securement will extend between such first point and its terminus without the line of securement dipping vertically below said first point. Conversely the line of securement may extend from a first point along the inner edge of the cup to its terminus at the outer edge of the cup without the line of securement extending above said first point. Moreover, such construction facilitates the utilization of, and makes possible the optimum use of a split seam construction for concealment of the seam line through sheer garments which is compatible to the less structured, rounder, softer and more natural look of today&#39;&#39;s fashion.

United States Patent [1 1 Cole [ 51 Dec. 25, 1973 BREAST CUP CONSTRUCTION [75] Inventor: Raymond C. Cole, Hillsdale, NJ.

[73] Assignee: International Playtex Corporation, New York, NY.

[22] Filed: June 16, I971 [21] Appl. No.: 153,522

[52] US Cl. 128/516 [51] Int. Cl. A4lc 3/00 [58] Field of Search 128/425, 481, 489, 128/490, 491, 516, 194

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS R26,790 2/1970 Silvennan 128/481 200,583 2/1878 Tallman.... 128/516 2,072,879 3/1937 Hirsch 128/425 2,435,860 2/1948 Wilkenfeld et al. 128/481 3,430,632 3/1969 James et al. 128/425 2,677,827 5/1954 Lockhart 2/194 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 755,091 8/1956 Great Britain 128/516 818,622 9/1937 France 128/516 Primary Examiner-Jordan Franklin Assistant ExaminerPeter Nerbun Attorney-Stewart J Fried et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A breast receiving cup for a brassiere, and the method of manufacturing the cup, are disclosed in which the cup comprises an upper cup portion having a lower joining-edge of predetermined curvature and a lower cup portion having an upper joining edge secured to the lower joining edge of the upper cup portion. The upper joining edge of the lower cup portion has the same predetermined curvature as the lower joining edge of the upper cup portion whereby the lower joining edge and the upper joining edge of the respective cup portions may be superimposed upon one another to facilitate securement of the upper and lower breast cup portions to one another during the manufacturing procedure. In the three-dimensional finished cup the resultant line of securement starts at a first point along the inner edge of the cup and extends towards its terminus at the outer edge of the cup. Depending upon the cup presentation desired, such line of securement will extend between such first point and its terminus without the line of securement dipping vertically below said first point. Conversely the line of securement may extend from a first point along the inner edge of the cup to its terminus at the outer edge of the cup without the line of securement extending above said first point. Moreover, such construction facilitates the utilization of, and makes possible the optimum use of a split seam construction for concealment of the seam line through sheer garments which is compatible to the less structured, rounder, softer and more natural look of todays fashion.

8 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures PATENTED 3.780.741

srm 1 w 3 RNEYS BREAST CUP CONSTRUCTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to brassieres, and more particularly to brassiere cup structures and methods of manufacturing same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the construction of sewn brassiere cups, whether for use as undergarments, bathing suit tops or the like, the breast receiving portions or cups are generally constructed of an upper and lower cup portion of material which are joined together along lower and upper joining edges respectively to form a conical three dimensional pocket to receive the breast.

In combination with the shape of the upper and lower cup portions, the line of securement between such portions dictates the contour of the finished cup. Thus, depending upon aesthetic desires, the prior art includes variously shaped upper and lower cup portions with the respective joining edges of the upper and lower portions of the breast cups having varying degrees of similarity. By and large, the curvature of the arcs described by the respective joining edges are different with the curvature of the upper portion of the cup describing a less severe or more gradual arc than the joining edge of the lower portion of the cup.

While the cup or pocket formed by joining these two dissimilar edges provides a highly satisfactory breast receiving unit, the typically present dissimilarity between the curvature of the respective upper and lower portions of the cup presents problems in assembly. Specifically, in order to properly seam the cup portions together to form a pocket, the sewing operator must first superimpose the upper and lower portions so that first lengths of the respective joining edges are superimposed for an initial sewing operation which can then be effected. However, because of the dissimilarity between the curvatures of the joining edges of the upper and lower portions of the cup, the initial sewing operation must be halted approximately mid-way along the length of the respective joining edges. The upper and lower portions of the cup must then be physically manipulated to align the still-free joining edges of the cup portions so that the seam can be completed. As will be shown below, such manipulation by the operator requires the operator to physically retain the still unsecured portions of the cup in a somewhat unnatural position corresponding to the conical shape the cup will take when finished.

It has been found that in order to master the manipulation and alignment steps, a fairly extensive training period is required and the operation is relatively time consuming when considered in the context of a mass produced item. Further, as can be appreciated from the above discussion, the dissimilarity between the curvatures of the joining edges with corresponding alignment and manipulation problems, present problems not readily inducive to an automated procedure. Conversely, where the curvatures of the joining edges were similar, the resultant cup, included in the threedimensionalfinished cup, a somewhat vertically dipping U-shaped line of securement which was aesthetically undesirable.

Finally, in cup constructions of the prior art, wherein the joining edges of the respective cup portion have dissimilar curvatures, the resultant seam line describes a rather severe arc. Moreover, there results a greater amount of material in the raw edge (extending beyond the seam line) of the upper portion of the cup than the amount of material constituting the raw edge of the lower portion of the cup. Frequently, material gathering" takes place because of such dissimilarities in the raw edges, with such gathering problems visually masked by folding all raw edges back over onto the major surface area of either the upper or lower portion of the cup. Unfortunately, the double seam produced thereby is relatively prominent and can show through in some of the sheerer garments used in present day fashion tending to detract from the rounder, softer look being sought after. Unfortunately, and for the reasons set forth above, prior art breast cup constructions do not lend themselves to the use of split seam construction which could effectively eliminate the problems of seam prominence discussed herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In contradistinction to the prior art, there is provided a breast cup construction in which the upper and lower portions thereof include lower and upper joining edges respectively which are of the same curvature whereby such joining edges may be completely superimposed upon one another for their entire length to thereby make possible a simple, smooth, one step joining operation which does not necessitate the skilled manipulations required in the construction of prior art breast cups. Further, by so selecting such curvature such that the line of securement begins at a first point which in the finished three-dimensional cup will be along the inner edge of the cup and extending such line of securement towards its terminus at the outer edge of the cup without said line of securement dipping below said first point, an aesthetically desirable cup may be constructed. A similar result may be obtained by having such line of securement extend from said first point to its terminus without said line of securement extending upward above said first point.

It will be appreciated that since there is only a single superimposition as an initial step in the manufacturing procedure, and only a single sewing operation, the entire manufacturing process is both time and labor saving and furthermore readily lends itself to automation.

As a further feature of the instant invention the matched curvature coupled with the aforedescribed securement line produces symmetrical raw edges of the respective upper and lower portions of the cup thereby greatly reducing the fabric gathering problem prevalent in the prior art and permitting the employment of, and maximum effectiveness of, a split seam construction which as noted, minimizes the prominence of the seam construction.

Further, the advent of the use of supple and/or stretchable fabrics in brassiere cups has accentuated the material manipulation problems of the prior art cup constructions since the hand or stretch characteristics of these fabrics renders realignment during the sewing operation more difficult. The present invention, by completely eliminating the intermediate step of repositioning one of the fabric portions relative to the other avoids any problems that would be encountered in the excessive handling and such repositioning of modern, softer more supple fabrics (e.g., tricot).

Accordingly, it is an object of the instant invention to provide a breast cup construction and method of manufacture therefor, which comprises upper and lower cup portions having lower and upper joining edges respectively of the same curvature thereby facilitating the securement of such portions to one another along an aesthetically desirable line without stoppages and manipulation prevalent in the prior art devices.

It is a further object of the instant invention to provide such same curvature whereby the line of securement between said upper and lower cup portions being at a first point along the inner edge of the three dimensional finished cup and extends towards its treminus along the outer edge of the cup without dipping vertically below said first point, or alternately without extending vertically above said first point.

Another object of the instant invention is to provide such a construction and method of manufacture involving same which facilitates the employment of a split seam construction which greatly reduces the prominence of the seam line of the brassiere in which it is employed.

, Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide a breast cup construction and method of manufacture therefor which lends itself to automation, or in the alternative, substantially reduces the time and labor involved when producing same by conventional manufacturing procedures.

Other objects of the instant invention, as well as a fuller understanding thereof, will be had by referring to the following description and drawing in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a planar view of upper and lower portions of a breast cup to be constructed in accordance with the teachings of the instant invention;

FIG. 1A is a planar view of upper and lower portions of a breast cup to be manufactured in accordance with the teachings of the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a planar view of a breast cup of the instant invention during the manufacturing stages thereof;

FIG. 2A is a planar view of a breast cup of the prior art during manufacturing stages thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a breast cup of the instant invention;

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a breast cup of the prior art;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the arrows 4--4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a breast cup constructed in accordance with the instant invention specifically illustrating the seam construction thereof;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the cup of FIG. 5 taken along the arrows 6-6 thereof;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a brassiere cup of the instant invention turned inside out with resect to the view of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a brassiere shown as worn on the body, including cups constructed in accordance with one form of the teachings of the instant invention;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the brassiere of FIG. 8, and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an alternate brassiere including another form of cups constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Reference is now made to the Figures, wherein like numerals are used to designate like parts, and primed numerals are used to designate corresponding portions of the prior art. FIGS. 3,5,6 and 7, show a finished breast cup 10 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the instant invention and which is of the type incorporated in the brassiere of FIGS. 8-40, that is two such cups arejoined together with other conventional brassiere components (e.g., side panels 50, shoulder straps 51, frontal framing 52) during the manufacture of a finished brassiere.

The cup 10 includes an upper cup portion 12 and a lower cup portion 14. Upper cup portion 12 may be said to include a major surface area 16 bounded by side edges 18, 20 and a curved lower joining edge 22 having a preselected or predetermined curvature. In like manner, the lower cup portion 14 may be said to include a major surface area 24 bounded by side edges 26, 28

and the curved upper joining edge 30 having the samev preselected or predetermined curvature of the joining edge 22. It should be pointed out, that regardless of the degree of curvature or are chosen, the curvature or are subscribed by the joining edges 22 and 30 are the same and the curvature or are has been preselected, such that as hereinafter more particularly described, in the three-dimensional finished cup a line of securement following such curvature or are will extend from a first point towards its terminus point without dipping vertically below said first point.

It should be pointed out while the upper and lower portions 12 and 14 of the breast cup 10 have been described as single portions, they may be comprised of a plurality of sections appropriateiy joined together.

Considering FIG. 2, it will be appreciated that the matched joining edges 22 and 30 (from the point of view of curvature) permits the upper and lower cup portions 12 and 14 to be flatly overlapped in such a manner that the joining edges 22 and 30 are superimposed upon one another for their entire length. FIG. 4 illustrates the overlapped relationship of the upper and lower portions 12 and 14. Thus in one smooth, uninterrupted operation, a line of stitching 32 may be applied to join the upper and lower cup portions 12 and 14 respectively to one another along the aforementioned joining edges 22,30.

With references to FIGS. 1A, 2A and 3A, there is shown a breast cup 10' constructed in a manner generally found in prior art cup constructions which employ dissimilar joining edge curvatures and including upper and lower cup portions 12' and 14' respectively. It is appreciated that various other configurations of upper and lower cup portions are known. As can be seen in FIGS. IA, 2A and 3A, the curvature of the lower joining edge 22 of the upper cup portion 12 is different from the curvature or arc subscribed by the upper joining edge 30 of the lower portion 14'. Thus during the sewing operation, when the cup portions are overlapped, it is possible to superimpose only a first length L, of the joining edges 22 and 30' while retaining the cup portions 12' and 14 in a flat position. Hence the operator can only apply the line of stitching 32 to a point 34 approximately mid way along the length of the joining edges 22 and 30.

Thereafter, the sewing operation must be halted so that the operator may physically reposition the cup portions 12' and 14 such that the remaining lengths 22", 30" of the joining edges are brought into superimposition for the completion of the sewing operation to form cup 10. As noted above, such two step sewing procedure and the intermediate manipulation is expensive, time consuming, not conducive to automation, and is totally eliminated in the instant invention. Also, it should be appreciated that since the instant invention eliminates much of the handling and manipulation required in the construction of a brassiere cup, the manufacturer is not faced with the difficulties usually present employing relatively supple fabrics ans stretchable fabrics popular in todays garments.

Also mentioned previously, was the problem of fabric gathering which occurs within the prior art breast cup not only because of the dissimilarity in the raw edges 36, 38 which results from the rather severe arc established by the line of stitching 32', but further, due to the ascending and descending somewhat U-shaped line of securement which with its relatively severe curvature results in the problem of folding a greater length of material back over a lesser length of material. As noted, such gathering problem has been frequently masked by folding both raw edges 36, 38 back onto and securing same with respect to either the upper or lower cup portion 12' or 14' in the manner suggested in FIG. 3A or by the addition of a narrow covering tape along the seam line. Unfortunately, the seam construction resulting therefrom is rather bulky and is frequently undersirably prominent beneath sheerer outer garments.

In contradistinction and as clearly illustrated in FIGS. 3,5,6, and 7 with the employment of matched joining edges 22 and 30 respectively and the selection of a curvature which in the finished three-dimensional cup does not extend in a descending, ascending path, there are resultant symmetrical raw edges 40 and 42 which permit a split seam finishing with absolute minimal gathering is so minute as to be akin to a seamless cup presentation when the brassiere is worn under sheet outer garments.

Specifically, such raw edges 40 and 42 are folded back upon corresponding portions of the major surface areas 16 and 24 respectively of the upper and lower cup portions 12 and 14. AFter the raw edges 40 and 42 are folded back, they are secured by lines of stitching 44, 46 most clearly shown in FIG. 5. As discussed above and as shown in FIG. 6, the resultant seam construction is extremely flat and significantly less prominent than the doubled over seam construction illustrated in the prior art breast cup 10' of FIG. 3A.

Thus there has been described a breast cup pocket and the method of manufacturing same wherein a matching of the joining edges of the upper and lower cup portions to be formed in one smooth uninterrupted sewing operation completely eliminating the manipulation attendant the repositioning and multiple sewing operations required in the prior art. Additionally, by eliminating the ascending and descending paths in previously employed lines of securement the disparity between the length of the raw edge of material beyond the seam line and the body of material contiguous to the seam line is lessened. This permits the raw edges to be folded back for a split seaming operation with problems of gathering minimized.

The effect of such construction is illustrated in the brassiere 55 of FIGS. 8 and 9. As aforedescribed the overall design of the brassiere 55 may be varied and the brassiere 55 depicted is merely exemplary. The brassiere 55 generally includes dorsal or side panels 50 (partially illustrated) shoulder straps 51 and a frontal framing 52. Two cups l0 constructed as aforedescribed are joined to the frontal frame 52, with each cup 10 having an inner edge 53 generally along the vertical midline of the frontal framing 52 and an outer edge 54. The cups 10 provide shaped generally semispherical three-dimensional breast receiving elements.

As can be seen, the line of securement 32 between the upper cup portion 12 and the lower cup portion 14 of each cup portion 10 extends from its respective inner cup edge 53 to the outer cup edge 54 somewhat medially along the three-dimensionalized cup portion 10, with the line of securement starting at a first point A along the inner cup edge 53 and extending toward its terminus B along the outer cup edge 54 in a gradual curvilinear sweep without dipping vertically below the first point A.

It will be appreciated that the line of initial curvature of the joining edges may be so selected such that in a finished three-dimensional cup the line of securement may lie in a relatively horizontal plane relative to the torso or in the alternative, the line of securement may extend from the inner cup edge to the outer cup edge along a more marked ascending curvilinear path.

It should further be appreciated that the line of securement may be predetermined so as to extend conversely to that hereinbefore described. This is illustrated in FIG. 10 wherein the line of securement 32 extends between points C and D along the inner and outer sides of each cup 56 respectively. The respective elevation of points C and D are the converse of points A and B illustrated in FIG. 9. The line of securement 32 extends from point C to its terminus point D without extending above point C.

Although this invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments, it should be understood that many variations and modifications will now be obvious to those skilled in the art, and it is preferred, therefore, that the scope of the invention be limited, not by the specific disclosure herein, only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A breast receiving cup comprising:

an upper cup portion of supple fabric having a lower joining edge of predetermined curvature; and

a lower cup portion of supple fabric having an upper joining edge secured to said lower joining edge of said upper cup portion;

said upper joining edge having a length and curvature substantially the same as that of said lower joining edge;

said upper and lower cup portions being flatly superimposed upon each other with said joining edges substantially coextensive and secured to one another along a line to join said upper and lower cup portions to one another to form a threedimensional cup;

said cup including inner and outer side edges, the line of securement of said upper and lower joining edges starting at a first point along said inner edge of said cup and extending towards its terminus at said outer edge of said cup without said line of securement dipping vertically below said first point.

2. The breast receiving cup of claim 1 wherein said upper cup portion constitutes a single piece of material.

3. The breast receiving cup of claim 2 wherein said lower cup portion constitutes a single piece of material.

4. The breast receiving cup of claim 3 wherein said lower joining edge and said upper joining edge are secured to one another by a line of securement inwardly spaced from'the peripheral extremities thereof, the cup material along the peripheral'side of the securement defining raw edge portions of said upper and lower cup portions respectively; the raw edge portion of said upper cup portion overlapping a corresponding portion of the major surface area of said upper cup portion and being secured thereto; the raw edge portion of said lower cup portion overlapping a corresponding portion of the major surface area of said lower cup portion and being secured thereto.

5. The breast receiving cup of claim 1 wherein said lower joining edge and said upper joining edge are secured to one another by a line of securement inwardly spaced from the peripheral side of the securement; the cup material intermediate said peripheral side and line of securement defining raw edge portions of said upper and lower cup portions respectively; the raw edge portion of said upper cup portion overlapping a corresponding portion of the major surface area of said upper cup portion and being secured thereto; the raw edge portion of said lower cup portion overlapping a corresponding portion of the major surface area of said lower cup portion and being secured thereto.

6. A method of manufacturing a breast receiving cup, said method comprising the steps of: forming an upper cup portion having a lower joining edge of determined curvature; forming a lower cup portion having an upper joining edge of substantially the same length and curvature as said lower joining edge; placing said upper and lower cup portions in an overlapping relationship with respect to one another with said lower and upper joining edges flatly superimposed and coextensive with respect to one another along substantially their entire length; and joining said upper cup portion and said lower cup portion together along the entire length of said superimposed lower and upper joining edges while maintaining said flatly superimposed relationship along such entire length to form a three dimensional cup having a line of securement extending between the side edges of said cup in a gradual curvilinear sweep.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of joining comprises the step of joining said lower and upper joining edges by a line of stitching inwardly spaced from the peripheral side of the stitching; the cup material intermediate said peripheral side and line of stitching defining raw edge portions of said upper and lower cup portions respectively; and further including the steps of folding the raw edge portion of said upper cup portion back onto a corresponding portion of the major surface area of said upper cup portion;

securing'the raw edge portion of said upper cup portion to said major surface area of said upper cup portion; folding the raw edge portion of said lower cup portion back onto a corresponding portion of the major surface of said lower cup portion; and

securing the raw edge portion of said lower cup portion to said major surface area of said lower cup portion.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein each of the steps of securing the raw edges comprises stitching along a continuous line. 

1. A breast receiving cup comprising: an upper cup portion of supple fabric having a lower joining edge of predetermined curvature; and a lower cup portion of supple fabric having an upper joining edge secured to said lower joining edge of said upper cup portion; said upper joining edge having a length and curvature substantially the same as that of said lower joining edge; said upper and lower cup portions being flatly superimposed upon each other with said joining edges substantially coextensive and secured to one another along a line to join said upper and lower cup portions to one another to form a three-dimensional cup; said cup including inner and outer side edges, the line of securement of said upper and lower joining edges starting at a first point along said inner edge of said cup and extending towards its terminus at said outer edge of said cup without said line of securement dipping vertically below said first point.
 2. The breast receiving cup of claim 1 wherein said upper cup portion constitutes a single piece of material.
 3. The breast receiving cup of claim 2 wherein said lower cup portion constitutes a single piece of material.
 4. The breast receiving cup of claim 3 wherein said lower joining edge and said upper joining edge are secured to one another by a line of securement inwardly spaced from the peripheral extremities thereof, the cup material along the peripheral side of the securement defining raw edge portions of said upper and lower cup portions respectively; the raw edge portion of said upper cup portion overlapping a corresponding portion of the major surface area of said upper cup portion and being secured thereto; the raw edge portion of said lower cup portion overlapping a corresponding portion of the major surface area of said lower cup portion and being secured thereto.
 5. The breast receiving cup of claim 1 wherein said lower joining edge and said upper joining edge are secured to one another by a line of securement inwardly spaced from the peripheral side of the securement; the cup material intermediate said peripheral side and line of securement defining raw edge portions of said upper and lower cup portions respectively; the raw edge portion of said upper cup portion overlapping a corresponding portion of the major surface area of said upper cup portion and being secured thereto; the raw edge portion of said lower cup portion overlapping a corresponding portion of the major surface area of said lower cup portion and being secured thereto.
 6. A method of manufacturing a breast receiving cup, said method comprising the steps of: forming an upper cup portion having a lower joining edge of determined curvature; forming a lower cup portioN having an upper joining edge of substantially the same length and curvature as said lower joining edge; placing said upper and lower cup portions in an overlapping relationship with respect to one another with said lower and upper joining edges flatly superimposed and coextensive with respect to one another along substantially their entire length; and joining said upper cup portion and said lower cup portion together along the entire length of said superimposed lower and upper joining edges while maintaining said flatly superimposed relationship along such entire length to form a three dimensional cup having a line of securement extending between the side edges of said cup in a gradual curvilinear sweep.
 7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of joining comprises the step of joining said lower and upper joining edges by a line of stitching inwardly spaced from the peripheral side of the stitching; the cup material intermediate said peripheral side and line of stitching defining raw edge portions of said upper and lower cup portions respectively; and further including the steps of folding the raw edge portion of said upper cup portion back onto a corresponding portion of the major surface area of said upper cup portion; securing the raw edge portion of said upper cup portion to said major surface area of said upper cup portion; folding the raw edge portion of said lower cup portion back onto a corresponding portion of the major surface of said lower cup portion; and securing the raw edge portion of said lower cup portion to said major surface area of said lower cup portion.
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein each of the steps of securing the raw edges comprises stitching along a continuous line. 